Windows 10 is a relatively ‘economical’ system and does not actually require much RAM. But if you are going to demand more from your PC, for example when you want to edit videos or play games, then more RAM is desirable. How Much RAM Do You Actually Need?
Microsoft itself recommends a minimum amount of working memory (RAM) of 1 GB for the 32-bit version and 2 Gb for the 64-bit version of Windows 10 On. That is a very optimistic approach, which will not work out well in practice. To really do something with a Windows 10 system you need at least 4 GB of RAM; in the 32-bit version this is also the maximum achievable. You can then work reasonably with the system, but do not multitask too much (ie run too many programs at the same time). If your system has such a minimal amount of RAM (and this is not expandable), such a computer can still be boosted with an SSD instead of the traditional hard drive. 4 GB means that you can browse the internet, run email software and use Microsoft Office (or an office suite from another brand). Heavy games are reaching the limits, while video editing will be a far from ideal experience. Photo editing is barely possible, provided you don’t use too many layers and the like.
Golden standard
Actually, 8 GB has been the ‘gold standard’ for Windows 10 for a few years now. With this you can do just about anything for daily activities, including working with Photoshop and Lightroom for example. Video editing is also fine, provided you don’t run too many other programs at the same time. Most games are happy with 8 GB of RAM as well. It does mean that you can really only use the 64-bit version of Windows 10; only that supports more than 4 GB of RAM. Before running to the store for additional memory modules, check whether you can actually expand the existing amount of RAM in your system. Some budget systems do not support more than 4 GB. It is also often the case that you have to replace the old memory modules (for example 2 x 2 GB) with new ones (2 x 4 GB) to get the 8 Gb; this is often the case with laptops. With Windows tablets, the RAM is usually not expandable because it is soldered to the motherboard.
More working memory?
More RAM is especially interesting if you want to run a lot of heavy software at the same time. Or want to get started with virtual machines. For example, it is nice to also allocate a virtual version of Windows 6 or 8 GB RAM. This is only possible if the real RAM memory in your system is considerably more. Think of 16 GB or even 32 GB if necessary. Fortunately, RAM modules are not extremely expensive these days, so it is best to do that.
Do you want to expand your working memory, but don’t you really understand terms such as DDR, MHz, CAS Latency, SO-DIMM and 204-pins? In this article, we’ll give you some tips if you want to expand your RAM. We’ll go through the best-known terms and give some points of attention if you want to install your RAM in pairs, which is often recommended.
But for most people, 8 GB is just the right value to go in any direction with Windows 10! If you happen to have an older 32-bit laptop with Windows 7 in use, then after upgrading to 10 (support for Windows 7 has been over since January this year!), You will just get away with 4 GB. However, together with the older processor, this will most likely not produce a smoothly running computer.
.